I hadn’t until I started reading “Love Does” by Bob Goff. In a word this book is – Amazing – and then in another – Inspiring – and then in yet another – Life Changing. Seriously it’s that good…so good it prompted my son to come home with this:

In chapter thirteen Bob shares how his son Richard played “Bigger and Better” by trading $.10 for a mattress, an elk head, a whole bunch of other stuff and then finally a pick up truck which he donated to a church! No joke!

Amused and slightly astounded I quickly read the story to my kids. “Can you believe that?!” I asked them. They couldn’t of course but merrily went about their business shrugging it off as if stuff like that happens all the time. Hmmm. Interesting. I was hoping for a “wow” or at the very least a few raised eye brows – instead nothin’!

Or so I assumed…until….Ben came home from what I thought was a bike ride and proudly announced HE had played “Bigger and Better” and traded his dime for a mammoth gigantic tv!

“Oh ya and Micheal got a fax machine, I think he just started out with a nickel or something, not a dime, he didn’t really play it the same as me. I think his dad traded him something for it, cause he wants the fax machine. I’m gonna go wait for Captain Dave.”

Huh??? Seriously? Rolling it down???

Apparently there was quite a stir happening outside our house. Other neighbourhood kids were getting in on the action, there were fax machines, golf balls, napkins, and puzzles…and of course a big rolling tv. Want your kids to stop telling you they’re bored? Just send them out with $.10 to play “Bigger and Better”. Works like a charm!

Good to his word, Captain Dave rolled that sucker down to our house and Ben sealed another trade – a cell phone – but due to some parental restrains on the other end the tv was sadly denied and rolled back down to our garage where it patiently awaits it’s new owner.

We aren’t going to keep the tv of course, although initially this was hard for Ben’s 10 year old wii loving mind to comprehend. He did however, understand the point to keep passing it on and give something away that could truly make a difference to someone else.

Groovy.

We’ve tried to unload the tv, but we believe it’s meant to be traded. So we’re looking to continue playing “Bigger and Better” and pray God will show us who or what it is we are to do with the wheely tv…because we know it’s in our garage for a reason.

Ben had an urge to do something remarkable just like Richard and was brave enough to take a chance, and I’m incredibly proud of him! Sure he may have wanted to keep the tv or magically trade up to a scooter, and that’s okay, he is 10, but that’s where we as parents come in. To help him make sense of those urges and steer them in the right direction. To pull out the lesson even when we don’t know where it’s buried. And if anything, write a blog post and help the trade carry on.

Because as a caring mother I’m slightly concerned about Ben doing this door to door all over the neighbourhood!